Undiscovered Love
by Cyprus
Summary: Ron and Hermione have finally realized that they were meant for each other, but Harry doesn't take the news to well.
1.

This story is dedicated to Mina Yu.  
  
Another year at Hogwarts was beginning. For Ron, the summer had been a dull one. Harry and Hermione hadn't even come to stay with him, which had put a definite damper on things. The idea of being back at Hogwarts and seeing them again filled him with a kind of hope he had never felt before, as if a gigantic helium balloon were swelling inside his stomach, making him float through the air, yet he knew the tiniest pinprick would send him hurtling to earth with such speed that he would be lucky to survive.  
His mother said to him quietly, "Go on now, dear. Go through the barrier first, and I'll follow through with Ginny." Ron looked at the plump red-headed woman affectionately, and walked casually through the barrier between Platforms 9 & 10, hauling with him a large trunk and owl cage. Time had passed since he had taken it at a run, being too scared to walk right into a wall. Now it was quite normal, all part of his routine.  
The first thing he noticed once standing in front of the banner proclaiming that he was at Platform 9 & 3/4 was Hermione battling fiercely with her trunk, which was stubbornly refusing to move up the stairs and onto the train. The feelings he'd been struggling with since the Yule Ball in his fourth year, when Hermione came on the arm of an International Quidditch player, reached an all time high as he watched her struggle with the heavy trunk. He rushed over to help her out, carrying his own trunk as easily as if it had been a pillow.  
"Hi, Hermione," he said breathlessly, dropping his trunk on his foot. He started to let out a yelp of pain, but closed his mouth quickly. He didn't want Hermione to think he was weak. "Needs some help?" he asked kindly.  
"Oh could you, Ron?" she said thankfully, as she kissed him on the cheek. For some reason this made his ears turn bright red, even though this was a usual form of greeting. Hermione seemed not to notice, she just stood there and looked grateful, as he hauled her trunk up the stairs, then stooped down and grabbed his own, lifting it up and placing it beside Hermione's. "Thanks a lot, Ron. I never would have gotten that up there," she said truthfully. Ron blushed. Why was he acting like this! He felt furious with himself. Hermione and him were just friends, that was all.  
Hermione couldn't believe herself. Instead of thinking Ron was being annoying or arrogant or stupid, she found herself thinking that he was kind, thoughtful, maybe a little confused about girls, and about some other things. But it didn't annoy her. She felt that it was cute, even sweet. Ron himself was certainly cute, at least to her. He was as freckled as ever, very tall, but not gangly anymore, instead he was well built and even a little muscular. Hermione didn't really care about looks, but other girls did, and he was okay by there standards, not handsome like Dean Thomas, or gorgeous like George Hanes, but sort of cute. And, Hermione thought excitedly, it seems like he's interested in me!  
They found a compartment and Ron stepped in, taking a seat at the end by the window. Hermione guessed that he liked her and sat next to him. He looked surprised but pleased, and Hermione beamed at him. He grinned at her, and any girl who saw that grin would have been won over. He nervously put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.  
It was at this exact moment that Harry Potter slid open the compartment door to gape at them in shock. 


	2. 

Harry turned around slowly, and quietly shut the compartment door. What had he just seen? Ron and Hermione? Together? His two best friends. How could they do that to him? Besides, they were all ways fighting and bickering and snapping at each other. It just didn't make sense. He remembered the look on their faces, of happiness and relief, and, well, could it be. love?  
In a moment he walked back to the compartment and slid it open very noisily, so they would no he was coming in and separate. By the time he looked around at them, they were on opposite benches, Hermione reading a thick black book titled, "A History of Magical Muggle Mistreatment; Ron polishing his shining new broomstick.  
"Hello Harry!" said Hermione brightly as she close her book. She got up and hugged him, then sat back down. Ron smiled gleefully to himself. She had kissed him. She had not kissed Harry! The world was a beautiful place.  
"So, did you have a good summer, mate?" Harry asked Ron, trying to wipe the memory of his friends out of his mind, yet failing miserably. Ron's freckled face had seemed to shine with something he had never seen before, and Hermione didn't look so unattractive, almost the opposite. Her hair didn't seem so bushy; her teeth didn't seem so big.  
"Oh yeah, it was pretty good. Sorry you couldn't come over to the Burrow. It just wasn't the same with just me and Hermione," Ron replied honestly. Harry didn't believe him. They were probably snogging each other all summer. He felt tempted to say that, but he held it in. Maybe if he pretended he never saw them, he would forget all about it and things could go back to normal.  
They had a beautiful view of the rolling English countryside, but Harry didn't notice. The grassy hills and lush meadows went unnoticed, as did the sheep and cows contentedly eating it all.  
Ron noticed it. He gazed dreamily out the window, thinking of what a lovely planet he was living on. He smiled delightedly when he saw a horse cantering across a pasture, and thought about what a magnificent creature it was, muscles rippling, nostrils flaring, feet churning the hard earth. He had never liked horses, but that didn't matter.  
A spider crawled along the windowsill. Not bad creatures, spiders. Certainly they have a lot of legs, but look at the amazing webs they spin, and all the bugs they catch. This perfect world wouldn't be perfect without it.  
Then he reluctantly left dreamland and his thoughts turned to Harry. What would happen if he ever found out? He knew his friend wouldn't understand anything. He'd think it would destroy their friendship, which in a way it would.  
There was a loud knock on the compartment door, and Harry rushed over to answer it. The knocker was Cho Chang, Harry's on/off girlfriend. She had not changed into her robes yet, and was wearing a bright blue tube top and hip huggers. Her blue eye shadow accentuated her gorgeous almond shaped eyes, her hair was in a casual, but elegant bun, and she wore large silver hoop earrings. Her smile made her look like a movie star.  
Harry had recently gotten used to being around girls, and the ways of flirting and dating. Even though Cho seemed like a vision from a dream, he managed to keep it cool.  
"Well," he said with a grin, "someone looks like they walked out of a magazine."  
"Thanks," she said tossing her head and smiling flirtatiously. "Look Harry, I've got a compartment all to myself, and I thought you might like to join me."  
Harry was only too happy to oblige. He followed after her willingly, and Hermione and Ron heard the sound of a door locking.  
Harry hadn't been imagining things when he thought that Hermione looked attractive. Her hair was still very thick, but she took good care of it now, so it was sleek and shiny. Her teeth were straight, and a perfectly normal size. Sixteen had taken its toll on Hermione, and she had finally gotten the curves she thought would never come. Though she looked different, she was still the same girl, the girl that belonged to Ron.  
Ron followed Harry and Cho's example and locked the door. He walked back and sat next to Hermione. His arm curled around her, and they looked at each other. Each knew that they were meant to be together.  
Ron leaned in towards Hermione, putting a hand on her face. He caressed her lips with his, giving her a gentle kiss. Hermione moved away from him, startled, but then threw her arms around him and kissed him back passionately. He looked so wonderful, his red hair falling into his bright green eyes. She didn't want to let him go, but she did. The moved apart slowly, but Ron kept a warm, sheltering arm around her. She put her head on his shoulder, and fell asleep. 


End file.
